signature shock of sun-bleached hair, Aussie Greg Norman was elected PGA Player of the Year in 1995 and is one of the top money- winning golfers in the world. He's also a golf course designer and has interests in various companies that provide turf for golf courses, create luxury yachts, produce Web sites, and sell sportswear. So it's no surprise that the enterprising Norman is also involved in one of Australia's leading high-profile commodities: wine.

The large Mildara Blass firm (known as Beringer Blass since its merger with Napa's Beringer Vineyards) approached Norman about selecting wines for a series to be called Greg Norman Estates. The wines are made by winemaker Chris Hatcher, but the batches that go into final bottlings are personally chosen by The Shark himself. The tangy, juicy 1999 Shiraz, with its fresh, racy black raspberry fruit, really hits the proverbial sweet spot.

DAVID FROST WINES 1999 CABERNET AUVIGNON RESERVE ($33)

South African PGA golf pro David Frost and his brother Michel grew up on their father's wine farm in the Stellenbosch region. With Cabernet as well as golf in his blood, David had always wanted to make his own wine. In 1994, he and Michel purchased a 300-acre estate in Paarl, a large, relatively warm region that holds about 20 percent of South Africa's vineyards. The Frosts hired Napa Valley winemaker Jason Fisher to help them craft the wines, giving them a fresh, international appeal that's appropriate for a wine from a world-renowned golfer.

As a gesture of gratitude toward the golf community, David decided that each vintage of Frost wines would be dedicated to a golfing legend. The second releases were dedicated to Sam Snead. The current vintages carry Arnold Palmer's name. One dollar from each bottle sold goes to a charity designated by Palmer himself. This reserve Cabernet has rich, smoky, berryish flavors and a long, clean follow-through.